Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Each player of a game is given a playing piece, all such pieces adapted for movement upon a triangular board which is ruled into a plurality of playing regions which take on trapezoidal, triangular and rhomboidal shapes. The pieces are moved according to a throw of a conventional cubical die. At various points during the game, a player may operate a randomizing means by dropping a light steel token into a water filled jar. The water causes the motion of the token to be altered at random, and thus randomizes the location at the bottom of the jar at which the token comes to rest. At the bottom of the jar is a disc ruled into a plurality of like wedge-shaped regions, with an open topped cup disposed in the center of the disc. When the token lands on one of the regions or in the cup, a card corresponding to the place on which the token comes to rest is drawn, and the playing piece moved on the board in accordance with the directions written on the card. The tokens are removed from the jar by an elongated rod bearing a magnet on one end.

United States Patent Fekete Aug. 26, 1975 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [57] ABSTRACT [76] Inventor: Arisztid Z. Fekete, 11824 Madison E h player f a game is given a playing piece, all Lakewood Ohlo such pieces adapted for movement upon a triangular 44107 board which is ruled into a plurality of playing regions [22] Filed: June 24 1974 which take on trapezoidal, triangular and rhomboidal shapes. The pieces are moved accordlng to a throw of pp 482,015 a conventional cubical die. At various points during the game, a player may operate a randomizing means 273/13 AE; 273/131 KN? by dropping a light steel token into a water filled jar. 273/134 2 /1 273/134 The water causes the motion of the token to be al- 2 /1 A tered at random, and thus randomizes the location at 51 Int. Cl. A63F 3/00 the bottom of the jar f F comes to [58] Field of Search 273/134, 138 h bottom of they" P dlsc Y a Plurahty of l1ke wedge-shaped regions, with an open topped [56] References Cited lcup:1 disposed i1; 3118 center of thetdligc. When th; token an s on one o e reg1ons or in cup, a car corre- UNITED STATES PATENTS sponding to the place on which the token comes to 1,707,323 4/1929 Schaffer 273/134D rest is drawn, d h playing piece moved on the g :5 board in accordance with the directions written on the asc e 1 3,815,919 6/1974 Cain et al 273/134 AD card The tokens are removed from the Jar by an Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe gated rod bearing a magnet on one end.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED M1626 I975 FIG. 2

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BOARD GAME APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed towards a board game playable by one or more persons. More specifically, the object of the game is to stimulate competition between the players while simulating a voyage on a ship at sea.

To this end, a triangular board is ruled into an aesthetically pleasing array of playing regions, which can take the form of an arrangement of triangles, trapezoids and rhombi. Playing pieces, each moved by a different player, are moved on the board according to a throw of a conventional cubical die. The regions may contain pictures or directions for the movement of the playing pieces, and the object of the game is to traverse all the regions before any competitor is able to do so.

At various points during the play of the game, the use of a randomizing means will be required. At these junctures, a player will use the means and draw a card according to the results produced by the means. The player will follow the directions written on each card, and play will continue until the end of the game is reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of the playing board;

FIG. 2 is a drawing of the randomizing means;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the disc in the randomizing means;

FIG. 4 is a drawing of the device for removing metal tokens dropped into the device of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 shows a die, cards and playing pieces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings; a triangularly shaped playing board is made from a flat piece of cardboard and is ruled into a plurality of playing regions 20, which may take the form of a rhombus, a triangle or a trapezoid. Playing pieces 122 are placed on the board at region and are moved along the sequence of regions towards region 40 according to a throw of a conventional cubical die 124.

The first player reaching region 40 is the winner. The regions may bear printed pictures suggesting themes relating to sea voyages, and may contain printed directions to move pieces to other portions of the board. When a player lands upon a region requiring the use of the device in FIG. 2, the player picks up a light weight steel token 45. This token is dropped through a slot 50 disposed in a circular lid 60 which is threaded on the top of an open topped cylindrical jar 70, which is placed on a horizontal surface. Inside the jar, lying on the bottom, is disposed a circular disc 80, which is divided into 6 congruent wedge shaped regions 90, each of which is colored differently from all the others on the disc. An open topped cylindrical cup is dis posed on the center of the disc with the top facing upwardly towards the slot. The token comes to rest either in the cup or on one of the regions on the disc, and the player draws a card 126 keyed to the place at which the token lands and follows the instructions given thereon. An elongated rod with a magnet is used to extract tokens from the jar after the game is finished.

While the invention has been described with detailed reference to the drawings, the protection sought is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising:

a triangular cardboard playing board, the board being ruled into a plurality of playing regions which take on trapezoidal, triangular and rhomboidal shapes;

a plurality of playing pieces;

a cubical die;

means providing a selection in a random manner from seven difierent possible outcomes, the means including a vertical cylindrical jar having an open mouth at its top and a horizontal bottom and almost completely filled with water, a circular disc ruled into six congruent wedge-shaped sections, each section being differently colored, said disc being disposed on top of the jar bottom and covering it, an upwardly facing open topped cup disposed on the center of the disc in the jar and disposed below the water line, a lightweight steel token which, when dropped into the jar mouth, will settle in any one of seven different positions, each position being a different outcome, one of said positions being attained when the token settles into the cup, each of the other six positions being defined when the token settles onto a corresponding one of the six disc sections, and an elongated rod having a magnet at one end for removing the token from the jar without spilling water therefrom; and

a plurality of cards, each card containing instructions for the movement of the playing pieces upon the board and corresponding to one and only one of said outcomes as selected by said means. 

1. Game apparatus comprising: a triangular cardboard playing board, the board being ruled into a plurality of playing regions which take on trapezoidal, triangular and rhomboidal shapes; a plurality of playing pieces; a cubical die; means providing a selection in a random manner from seven different possible outcomes, the means including a vertical cylindrical jar having an open mouth at its top and a horizontal bottom and almost completely filled with water, a circular disc ruled into six congruent wedge-shaped sections, each section being differently colored, said disc being disposed on top of the jar bottom and covering it, an upwardly facing open topped cup disposed on the center of the disc in the jar and disposed below the water line, a lightweight steel token which, when dropped into the jar mouth, will settle in any one of seven different positions, each position being a different outcome, one of said positions being attained when the token settles into the cup, each of the other six positions being defined when the token settles onto a corresponding one of the six disc sections, and an elongated rod having a magnet at one end for removing the token from the jar without spilling water therefrom; and a plurality of cards, each card containing instructions for the movement of the playing pieces upon the board and corresponding to one and only one of said outcomes as selected by said means. 